| Highwayman | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Real Name | John Bruckner |
| Aliases | Highwayman |
| Gender | Male |
| Class | Ace |
| Wild Card Traits | Dimensional travel |
| Social Information | |
| Place of Birth | British |
| Citizenship | British citizen |
| Occupation | Courier, government agent |
| Base of Operations | England |
| Affiliations | Order of the Silver Helix |
| Origin | |
| Creator | George R.R. Martin |
Highwayman is a fictional character from the Wild Cards series of books.
History[]
John Bruckner joined the Order of the Silver Helix, using his power to warp himself and his truck through his extradimensional Short Cut in the service of the Crown. He noticed at one point that the hostile denizens of the Short Cut had become increasingly aggressive. During a mission to rescue John Fortune, his truck came under heavy assault from the plant creatures living in the Short Cut, and it took supreme effort from his other passengers, Carnifex and the Midnight Angel, to fight them off. It transpired that Ti Malice had been trapped in the Short Cut for some time, and had twisted them into a fighting force in order to escape back Earth.
Bruckner was later called upon to transport Drake Thomas into the path of a PPA army division. The result explosion wiped out the soldiers, and once Bruckner's involvement was revealed he found himself facing criminal charges.
During the Talas incident, Midnight Angel realized that Horrorshow was a native of the Short Cut after recognizing some of the demons she had fought on her previous trip. Aces of the Committee proceeded to break Bruckner out of prison in order to force him to transport Hellraiser back to the Short Cut, thereby trapping Horrorshow within it as well.
Wild Card Traits[]
Bruckner drives a truck and trailer rig that he can warp into another dimension that he refers to as the Short Cut. Through this process he can warp his lorry into the Short Cut at any point on the compass, drive through the Short Cut for a time, and then exit at another location entirely. A drive from England to the United States was conducted in under eighteen minutes, and included time to contact him with details of exactly which highway off-ramp he needed to reach.
Bruckner's lorry is heavily modified for tough transporting jobs, and is both resistant to gunfire and incredibly fast. It has room for at least four people in the cab, and typically carries a number of assorted armaments stored in the trailer.
Appearance[]
John Bruckner is heavy set, with a large paunch and brawny arms. He always wears a cap to cover his nearly bald head.
- "He has the built of a beer keg and just as much agility" - Noel Matthews
Personality[]
John Bruckner is racist, sexist and despises foreigners with a superiority unique only to a white Englishman. His mentality seems to be stuck somewhere in the 1960s. However, as long as his prejudices are not inflamed, he can be amiable. He has a passion for football. Using the Short Cut sometimes makes him nervous, as he fears suffering a breakdown that would leave him stranded there.
Selected Reading[]
- Wild Cards Volume XVII: Death Draws Five
- Wild Cards Volume XIX: Busted Flush
- Wild Cards Volume XXIII: High Stakes